RJ04 - Describe the inquiry activity you will use for your informal assessment review. Explain what science practice(s) it will teach and how you plan to assess them. Review RI GSES pertaining in Scientific Inquiry.
Inquiry Activity: Blue Grabber online Evolution Lab Source: BiologyInMotion.com Description of interactive lab: The interactive computer lab starts with a brief introduction to the theory of natural selection and then present students with a simulation of the process of natural selection using fictitious blue creatures. These creatures use their grabber that extend from the top of their heads to eat the food that falls from above. Each cycle one creature eats and then reproduces. It's offspring replaces the one blue creature in the population of twenty that has last eaten the longest time ago. The cycles start at 1 and go to 250. The selection strength and mutation rate can be changed by the students. Mean phenotypes for each cycle are provided and the different phenotypes are plotted over time in a line graph. Description of activity:
1. Students have been given an introduction to Evolution (change through time). They have the definition for natural selection and know the term "survival of the fittest."
2. Students log on to the computer and go to the Biology In Motion website and enter the Evolution lab.
3. Students read through the intro pages of the lab and start to build a base of knowledge on natural selection.
4. Lab sheets are distributed and students start their investigation. Their investigation includes two simulations (A and B). Simulation A has students run two different trials and simulation B has them run three different trials. These are the following settings students look at in the different trials:
Simulation
Selection Strength
Mutation Rate
A-1
0.8
0.2
A-2
0.8
0.8
B-1
0.3
0.3
B-2
0.8
0.3
B-3
0
0
5. For each setting, students collect the mean phenotype for every 15 cycles from 1 to 250. After all data is collected, students enter the numbers in excel and create three lines graphs. The first graph has all 5 trials, the second has the two trials from Sim A, and the third has the three trials from Sim B.
6. Students create a results and discussion only lab report in Word. The results section includes the above data table and all three figures from excel. Each is labeled with a brief caption.
7. Students answer analysis questions that have them explaining natural selection in their own words based on what they saw in the lab, explaining the difference between selection strength and mutation rate, and comparing the data when the selection strength and mutation rate change.
8. Students email their reports to me to be graded.
9. Natural selection is further discussed in class and builds off their new knowledge.
Science practices taught: Natural selection and evolution, individual investigation, forming hypotheses, collecting data, evaluating and analyzing data, using technology, create graphs, writing lab reports. Assessment plan:
Students are assessed formatively while they work in the computer lab. This is done by evaluating the questions they ask, by asking them questions as I walk around, and checking how far each student gets during each lab period (two days total).
Student lab reports will be graded based on their data table, graphs and labels, and analysis questions. Their excel sheet will not be graded because all the information in their spreadsheet is displayed in their figures in the report.
RI GSES pertaining to Scientific Inquiry addressed:
Collect data
Communicate understanding and ideas
Represent, analyze, and interpret data
Observe
Predict
Use evidence to draw conclusions
Use tools and techniques
How did the lab support these practices? - fogleman Feb 19, 2009
RJ04 - Describe the inquiry activity you will use for your informal assessment review. Explain what science practice(s) it will teach and how you plan to assess them. Review RI GSES pertaining in Scientific Inquiry.
Inquiry Activity: Blue Grabber online Evolution Lab
Source: BiologyInMotion.com
Description of interactive lab: The interactive computer lab starts with a brief introduction to the theory of natural selection and then present students with a simulation of the process of natural selection using fictitious blue creatures. These creatures use their grabber that extend from the top of their heads to eat the food that falls from above. Each cycle one creature eats and then reproduces. It's offspring replaces the one blue creature in the population of twenty that has last eaten the longest time ago. The cycles start at 1 and go to 250. The selection strength and mutation rate can be changed by the students. Mean phenotypes for each cycle are provided and the different phenotypes are plotted over time in a line graph.
Description of activity:
1. Students have been given an introduction to Evolution (change through time). They have the definition for natural selection and know the term "survival of the fittest."
2. Students log on to the computer and go to the Biology In Motion website and enter the Evolution lab.
3. Students read through the intro pages of the lab and start to build a base of knowledge on natural selection.
4. Lab sheets are distributed and students start their investigation. Their investigation includes two simulations (A and B). Simulation A has students run two different trials and simulation B has them run three different trials. These are the following settings students look at in the different trials:
6. Students create a results and discussion only lab report in Word. The results section includes the above data table and all three figures from excel. Each is labeled with a brief caption.
7. Students answer analysis questions that have them explaining natural selection in their own words based on what they saw in the lab, explaining the difference between selection strength and mutation rate, and comparing the data when the selection strength and mutation rate change.
8. Students email their reports to me to be graded.
9. Natural selection is further discussed in class and builds off their new knowledge.
Science practices taught: Natural selection and evolution, individual investigation, forming hypotheses, collecting data, evaluating and analyzing data, using technology, create graphs, writing lab reports.
Assessment plan:
RI GSES pertaining to Scientific Inquiry addressed:
- Collect data
- Communicate understanding and ideas
- Represent, analyze, and interpret data
- Observe
- Predict
- Use evidence to draw conclusions
- Use tools and techniques
How did the lab support these practices? -